Yesterday I asked you if you had something you were looking forward to. Well I have a lot of things to look forward to. The image above is the aerial view of my home airport, Williamsburg-Whitley County Regional Airport. This is one of my favorite views, coming in for a landing.
My new airplane should be delivered by the end of July. I think to say I’m looking forward to it is an understatement.

There are many much more important things than that though. I am looking forward to seeing my grand children grow up, Sherelene and I age, (hopefully gracefully) together, and I look forward to all the people that I may see turn their live to the Lord.

Most of all I’m hoping the day will come that I stand before Jesus and hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” Much has to happen before I can realize that desire. I need to dedicate myself to listening and obeying, praying and studying, waiting and expecting faithfully.

Sorry about that, just couldn’t help myself. A country expression for poor, often comes out Po.
When I saw this sign I knew I had to shoot it, o.k. part of it. This morning I want to review with you all the reasons you should know that you are wealthy beyond measure.

Help me out by thinking about and answering these questions;

Does someone love you? (Hint, you know Jesus does…….)

If it rained last night did you have shelter?

Did you have to walk to work today?

In the last 24 hours have you had at least 3 meals?

Do you have something you are looking forward to?

Are you dying from a terminal illness?

Do you know you have been forgiven?

If you can answer yes to those questions you are wealthy beyond measure. Even if you have a terminal illness, if you can say yes to the last question, you’re still in loving hands.

Wealth is not just possessions or currency, it’s a state of well being. Look around yourself today and count all the ways you are fortunate. Now today’s assignment;

1. Tell one person that means a lot to you that you’re glad to have them in your life.
2. Thank God for your health, life, family, friends and His love and forgiveness.
3. Take ten minutes and go off alone and sit quietly and wait on God to assure you of His love.
4. Hug a child.
5. Pet a dog.
6. Try to get a glimpse of the sun setting, and thank God for giving you one more day.

I had a crazy dream last night. I would imagine it was because Wednesday I’m driving down to Charleston, SC for the NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) Convergence Seminar.
Convergence is the name for the new technology that has still digital single lens reflex cameras also making High Definition video. So the dream went something like this; I was the main speaker,
which I’m not at this conference, and I had a morning and afternoon program to present. After the morning program, during lunch, I discovered that my battery had died in my Mac Book Pro. Now of course at any photojournalism conference getting a charging cord or borrowing a battery for a Mac would have been no problem, but dreams rarely are logical in that way.

So I had to present again in the afternoon and my pre designed program on the computer was not available. It was ten minutes until time to step up to the podium, so I decided to give a talk about
something personal, How To Immeasurably Improve Your Life. In the dream in ten minutes I scribbled down a brief outline. Here is the talk.

* Remember this was being shared with photographers, but in review I think you will agree it would work for anyone, doing anything.

How would you like for your life to be immeasurably better? Then please allow me to share a few key things that I promise, if followed, will result in just that, a better life.

Step One: Determine for yourself why you are doing what your doing. Why are you a photojournalist, or a pharmacist, or a plumber? Why did you decide to devote this part of your life to this activity? I most imagine, you have always wanted to do what you’re doing. Dig down deep and remember what it was about what you do, that you love so much, that you wanted to do it for
all your life. When you can answer that, you will have the key to doing what you do with all the gusto it deserves! Anything done with out great enthusiasm (gusto) is not worth doing.

Step Two: Make a careful assessment of yourself. It is easy to fall into a couple of traps in life, we either think too little of ourselves or too much. In reality, are you the hottest photographer in the world, or just a very good one? Are you the worst person you know, or just another struggling human being in need of improvement (that’s all of us, by-the-way!). The issue of your self-worth must be settled. Here is a simple formula, “The” God, gave up His only Son to die for you that you might have eternal life. I think that clearly defines your value. As to overstating your value, I will leave you to work that one out, but just remember pride goes before a fall. I have a very simple way to keep myself in line as a photographer; I know these two things to be self-evident truths,
I am an exceptional photographer, and today, exceptional photographers are dime a dozen.
Kind of puts some perspective on things, don’t you think?

Step Three: If you really want everything in life that you desire, help others get it. If you spend your life trying to help others succeed, and realize their dreams, yours will follow. The act of giving will become more important to you and more satisfying for you, than getting just what you want alone. If you really think about it, I’m sure you already know that almost nothing you ever
desired, resulted in lasting satisfaction, after you had attained it. Material possessions may be the most over-rated of all our earthly accumulations.

Step Four: Learn that SIMPLE is always best. It is the simple pleasures of this life, the simple acts of kindness to others, the simple moments with family and friends, the simple breeze, and shade on a hot day, that satisfy the most. If you want to ruin anything, overcomplicate it.

Step Five: Trust in someone far more powerful than yourself. If you want all the issues of life to become clear, and move towards good resolution, give your heart and life to Jesus. We live in a society that says, you must solve your own problems. Actually God doesn’t want you to ball up in the fetal position and live in mortal fear, He does want you to be part of the answer, but He also wants you to wait on Him. Charging into battle with no plan is never a good idea. God will guide you and give you the strength to accomplish every task, but wait for your marching orders before you march.

Step Six: Spend a few minutes everyday, being thankful for all you’ve been blessed with.
I try to tell Bill Pekala, the man who hired me at Nikon and a life long friend, thanks so much for this job! Is my job a joy every minute, of course not, but the moments that are not pleasant are far and few between. I thank God for my wife, my children and my grandchildren, my friends and associates. I thank Him for my health, my love of life, for photography, and all the really great simple pleasures of this life. Most of all I thank Him for His Son, because of His actions, when this life is over, an even better existence starts for me…………

What a glorious holiday. A day of celebrating the freedom for which we should be so thankful. I hope that you were with family and friends yesterday. It is in the warmth of those relationships that we remember just how wonderful our country is.

Last night all the residents of the street where I live gathered for a picnic and fellowship. The evening ended with a really spectacular fireworks display provided by some of our neighbors.
About 45 adults gathered and enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, and barbecued pork roast with all the fixings.

The most beautiful site for me was all the kids, dozens, lying on blankets in my neighbors yard looking skyward in awe at the display of the fireworks. We don’t do this very often, actually in the thirty years I’ve lived on my street, I can only remember a handful of gatherings such as this, and that’s a mistake. This was a glorious evening. If you’re ever tempted to think you are doing without the best things in life because you can’t afford them, you should have been with us last night. Each neighbor brought some food, everyone brought a comfortable chair and we simply enjoyed getting reacquainted.

Diverse people from all walks of life, all ages, all interests, not all the same. But last night one common interest bound us together, an enjoyment of a holiday that encourages us to reach out to one another.

Today we all have air conditioning, TVs, computers, and many other things that keep us in our homes, behind closed doors. Last night we came outside and enjoyed something truly special,
each other.

The goal of my life is to share my Lord’s love with everyone I meet. Last night I got out of my house, and did just that………….